He would leave his jeans and boots on for now. He’d never gotten accustomed to sleeping without clothes. Considering the hellhole he’d grown up in—first with his psycho father, then the brief but horrific stint at the boy’s home—Rafe had learned not to let himself become too vulnerable. Even when he’d moved in with his Uncle Owen, Rafe could never relax.
Lying back on the plush bed with its thick comforter and down pillows—more gifts from Rex—Rafe rested the beer bottle on his chest as he stared at the ceiling. He could see Bailey’s beautiful face in his mind’s eye. He could still smell her sweet, lavender scent, feel her baby-soft skin against his fingertips.
What he wouldn’t give to have her in bed with him, curled up against his side, keeping the damn nightmares at bay.
But those damn nightmares were why he could never sleep with a woman beside him. No way was he subjecting anyone to that. Hence the reason he’d gone through dozens of women after he’d left Coyote Ridge. He couldn’t remember most of their names, some he never even bothered to ask. Since he’d been back, Rafe hadn’t been with anyone. Not because the opportunity hadn’t arisen. It had. Often. But there was only one woman Rafe wanted, and she just so happened to be far too good for the likes of him.
Bailey wasn’t one of those women a man would bed for the night, ride like a wild stallion and then disappear on come morning. She was the sweet type, the woman a man wanted to keep close, to protect, to … love. There was no doubt Rafe loved her, although he would never admit it to anyone. His love wasn’t worth shit. Hell, just look at Rex. Rafe had proven that his love didn’t have an ounce of value. Rather than stick around to be with his brother, Rafe had bailed. And still, Rex had worked his ass off to build a place for the two of them because that was the sort of man Rex was.
Rafe’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
He set the beer on the nightstand, dug the phone out, and stared at the screen. A smile tilted his lips at the simple words from Bailey:Good night, Rafe. Sweet dreams, cowboy.
Damn that woman.
She was going to be the death of him, making him want things he knew he didn’t deserve.
Never had he wanted a woman the way he wanted her. It was easier not to want anything at all. At least that way, you weren’t disappointed. And until he met Bailey, until she’d managed to burrow under his skin, Rafe had stuck to that.
But even as each day passed, he felt himself changing, wanting something he’d never had before. He wanted to love and to be loved. And he knew Bailey Weber would be the woman who could give him that. If he even entertained the notion, he knew he would eventually give in because she was a temptation too great to ignore for long. In his fantasies, he would convince her to leave that jackass, and he would promise to be her man for eternity.
But those were fantasies because Rafe was the last thing a woman like Bailey needed in her life. He would only bring her down, cause her pain. He had secrets that no one knew. Some were even unforgivable. She would forever be weighed down by the sins that haunted him.
If only his mother hadn’t died.
If only Billy Don hadn’t brought Jolene around.
If only Rafe hadn’t pulled the trigger that night.
He was doing the right thing by keeping Bailey at arm’s length. Yeah, pretending he merely wanted to be her friend was hell. It hadn’t been so bad in the beginning, but as the days ticked by, as they spent more and more time together, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. The mere idea of her crawling into bed with another man had his stomach twisting in knots.
But it was the best thing for her. She needed a man who was whole, not a broken wanna-be cowboy who’d shot and killed his old man.
Nobody needed that.
Nobody.
Chapter Three
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Bailey woke up the next morning toan empty house.
She made toast, took a shower, and even dried her hair. All while on edge that Seth would return any minute and ruin what she hoped was going to be a great day.
By the time she was dressed, she no longer cared where Seth was. She was grateful he was gone because it gave her time to primp in the mirror. Whenever he was around, he always poked fun at her. Usually, it was about her hair or makeup, often about her clothes. She got the feeling he found it amusing, but she rarely found anything funny about his snide comments. They were downright juvenile, and most of the time, they were mean.
She knew he would have plenty to say about the black silk pantsuit she was wearing. She’d paired it with a silky white shirt, a pair of ruby red flats, and the ruby earrings her mother had gotten her for her birthday last year. She thought she looked cute, plus the suit gave her a businesslike air, which was what she was going for since her interview with Rex was in an hour and a half. She’d ensured she had enough time to call for an Uber so she wouldn’t have to trek into town on foot. She’d asked Seth last night if she could borrow his car to run some errands today, but he’d turned her down flat. In fact, he’d told her she could do well with some exercise.
Usually, Bailey wouldn’t mind the walk. She’d gotten used to it, even enjoyed listening to an audiobook while breathing in the fresh air. Today was the exception because she did not want to show up at the bed-and-breakfast sweating or stinking. She didn’t imagine either of those things would draw favor with Rex, and right now, she wanted him to hire her. She didn’t even care if it was to clean toilets. As long as the pay was better than what she was earning now, she would gladly do it.
Well, maybegladlywas a bit too optimistic, but there was still a good chance she would jump at the opportunity.
“You’ve got this,” she told her reflection, smiling. “You’re smart and friendly, and you’ve got plenty of experience with customers.”
Bailey had started her career in hospitality when she was ten, helping in her mother’s bakery. Although she didn’t earn a paycheck—then or now—she still helped as often as her mother needed. When she was fourteen, she babysat for several people from her church. Then when she turned sixteen, she got a job at a small grocery store in the neighboring town. That lasted only a couple of months before she had to quit because her schedule didn’t align with her mother’s, and leaving her mom without a car wasn’t an option. When she turned eighteen, she started working at the diner since it was within walking distance of her mother’s house. She worked there until she learned Mack was hiring a waitress at Moonshiners, also within walking distance. She’d been working there since she was twenty-one, serving drinks to her friends and neighbors.
She loved working in the small town she grew up in. When she thought about working in the big city, it made her nervous, which was likely why she’d put off applying for those jobs. Or part of it. Since transportation was limited, she didn’t have many options.
